Patricia Rucker (born Patricia Elena Puertas on April 27, 1974 in Caracas) is a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the

West Virginia Senate The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature. There are seventeen senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms. Although the Democratic Party held a supermajority in t ...

, representing the 16th district since January 11, 2017. Rucker served as the chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee from 2019 to 2022. Rucker was born in

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

. The first Hispanic woman to represent West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, Rucker emigrated from

with her at the age of 6 and became a

U.S. citizen Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...

in 2004.

Election results

2020: After running unopposed in the 2020 Republican primary, Rucker faced Jefferson County Sheriff Pete Dougherty in the November 3, 2020 general election. Rucker beat Dougherty by a slim 52-48% margin to win a second term. 2016: After the retirement of

Herb Snyder Herbert S. Snyder (born September 7, 1953 in Winchester, Virginia) is a former Democratic member of the West Virginia Senate representing District 16. Snyder served as a Jefferson County Commissioner from 1990 to 1996, when he was elected to h ...

, Rucker ran for the Republican nomination in the open seat race. Rucker, a teacher and president of We The People of West Virginia and Jefferson County, a local tea-party affiliate, faced attorney and lobbyist Joe Funkhouser in the Republican primary. Rucker beat Funkhouser 56-44% to advance to the November general election. Rucker faced Delegate Stephen Skinner in a rematch of their 2014 House race. Rucker defeated Skinner 53%-47%.

References

External links

West Virginia Legislature - Senator Patricia Rucker
''official government website''
Project Vote Smart - Senator Patricia Rucker (WV)
profile 1974 births Living people Politicians from Caracas People from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Hispanic and Latino American state legislators Hispanic and Latino American women in politics Venezuelan emigrants to the United States Republican Party West Virginia state senators Women state legislators in West Virginia Trinity Washington University alumni People with acquired American citizenship 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians Latino conservatism in the United States {{WestVirginia-politician-stub